The Phoenix Suns could move on from starting center Deandre Ayton this offseason.
Ayton, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, helped lead the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals and a franchise-best 64 wins in 2022.
But Phoenix has reportedly not been pleased with Ayton's play. The big man averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds this regular season. His numbers dipped to 13.4 points on 55.1 percent shooting with 9.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
The Suns are looking for a new head coach, so it remains to be seen if that person will want to work with Ayton. However, he has been linked to trades with other teams.
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus wrote Sunday he had more than one source who said they expect the Dallas Mavericks to be a destination for Ayton. ClutchPoints wrote about what a potential sign-and-trade involving Ayton for star guard Kyrie Irving could look like.
Pincus' source said he could see the Suns trading Ayton for guard Tim Hardaway Jr., center JaVale McGee — who played with the Suns during the 2021-22 season — wing Josh Green and the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft.
“Phoenix would probably flip the pick to another team for depth, or maybe it'd be a big multi-team deal,” the source said.
Last week, ClutchPoints had a story on a reported potential trade involving Ayton for the No. 3 pick in the draft and additional pieces.
Ayton finished his fourth season with the Suns and told reporters at his exit interview he loves Phoenix. He might not be here next season.
“I'm going to continue to play hard for Phoenix,” Ayton said.
Follow Us
Subscribe